Gary Darnold will retire after 42 years at Lake Roosevelt

Gary Darnold takes care of the final paperwork as he makes his exit from the Grand Coulee Dam School District.

Gary Darnold, a member of the 1971 class at Colfax High School, will retire this year after a 42-year career with the Grand Coulee Dam School District. He has been a math teacher at Lake Roosevelt High School at Coulee Dam.

The son of the late Irwin and Zennie Darnold of Colfax, Darnold earned a bachelor's degree from Washington State University and a master's from Eastern Washington University.

He began his career at Lake Roosevelt in 1976.

Darnold has coached cross country for 40 years, and also coached basketball and tennis.

In 2000, Darnold lost his right leg after a blood clot issue, and in 2016 he contracted Parkinson's disease, but has continued to coach.

Darnold and his wife of more than 40 years, the former Sheila Stafford, met at Colfax High School. She is now lead secretary for Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School, and plans to retire in about two more years.

They have three children, Brian at Nine Mile, Stephen in Colville, and Lori in Moses Lake.

In his letter of resignation to the school board, Darnold wrote "Thank you for the best teaching job anyone could ask for."